


Undecided Switch

by nhasablog



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Multi, Pre-Poly, Pre-Relationship, Tickling, tickle kinks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 12:35:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20488985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nhasablog/pseuds/nhasablog
Summary: Tony meets Steve and Bucky on a tickle forum, but he starts questioning his interest in tickling and wonders if he's been a fraud all along.





	Undecided Switch

**Author's Note:**

> For the past few months I've been wondering what my interest in tickling entails. Being very uninvolved in the community offline (and, to be fair, online), I've never been tickled for long to really know how I feel about it. I've been calling myself a lee when maybe I just like the idea of it. I don't know. This fic is me exploring the idea that you could be a part of the community, but be neither a lee, ler or switch. I always tense up whenever tickling is brought up, but recently I sat listening to a convo and found that I... enjoyed it? Just listening. Not participating.
> 
> Anyway, this fic is about that. I hope you like it! Obviously don't read if tickling isn't your thing.

Tony had always found it weird, his thing for tickling that had taken shape during nights spent in front of youtube and google searches trying to comprehend this part of himself. Even becoming a part of the community both online and offline and talking to others about it had a tainted sort of shame attached to it. It took him slightly too long to realize that his interest differed from theirs. He feared it was quite obvious now.

He buried his hands in his pockets, the November chill unbearable in this city. It wasn’t his first meeting with the group he’d met on the forum, but his mind was a jumbled catastrophe and he felt as nervous as the first time; six months of casual and occasional tickly hangouts being washed down the drain.

He was being silly. He belonged among them just as much as before, despite-

Hands on his sides from behind, squeezing and making him jerk away with a yelp. Tony whirled around to face a laughing Bucky, attempting to glare but failing miserably once he started smiling. Being a ler, you rarely saw Bucky laugh that hard. It was nice, the way his eyes crinkled and head fell back; so comfortable in his mirth.

“You should’ve seen yourself,” he was saying, raising his hands when Tony took a step closer. “Didn’t you hear me call for you?”

“Obviously not,” Tony said, swatting at him weakly.

“All the more fun for me.”

Tony dodged the oncoming poke with a laugh, colliding with someone from behind. “Oh, sorry.”

“Are you torturing our undecided switch, Barnes?” Natasha asked, eyebrows raised when Tony turned to look at her. Undecided switch was their nickname for him since he couldn’t figure out whether he prefered being on the receiving end or not, or so he’d claimed when they first met.

“Only a little bit. He’s fun to mess with.”

“Be careful with him. We don’t want to scare him off, do we?”

“Uh, he’s standing right here.”

Natasha grinned. She would make a terrifying ler, but he’d never been under her mercy, so he couldn’t be sure. Maybe she was the sweetest one out of all of them (all of them being Bucky, her and Clint, who was technically a switch but with mostly ler tendencies). Steve, sweet Steve, had been under their combined mercy too many times, as the only proper lee in the group. Tony might’ve felt bad for him had he not found the way he giggled utterly adorable.

“You know Barnes is trying to figure out what type of switch you are, right?” she said. “As am I. I’ve never met someone this confusing in the community.”

“Sorry to disappoint.”

“Oh, you’re doing the opposite of disappointing us,” she assured him. “You’re interesting. A challenge, in a non dehumanizing way.”

He snorted. “Good thing to know I’m not just an object to you.”

She bumped their shoulders together. “We like you. Some more than others.”

That remark was directed toward Bucky, who was suddenly rather interested in his phone. “Where are the others?” he muttered, back against them.

Tony felt his heart speed up. “Right.”

“You’re one of us,” she continued, slipping her arm around his waist. “Deal with it.”

“Aren’t you guys cozy?” They turned to find Steve walking up to them, his usual smile in place. “Can I join the cuddle party?”

“You’ll just get tickled,” Tony told him, grin growing.

“Have you gotten the same treatment?”

“Well, no. Not from Nat.”

“Steve’s another story,” she said, holding out her free arm.

Tony watched as Steve stepped into the embrace, Natasha’s fingernails digging swiftly into his shoulder blade and making him squirm. He’d been entirely unprepared for the dig into his ribs and found that when he tried to move away from it he was semi trapped between her arm and Steve. Knocking against Steve, he felt himself blush. He wasn’t sure why.

Steve was laughing at him. “None of us is safe.”

“Evidently not- hey, stop that. Jesus, how long is your arm?”

“You guys know I’m only doing this to make Bucky jealous. Look at his face.”

They turned in unison, catching Bucky in the act of looking forlornly at them. He tried to straighten out his features, becoming interested in his phone again. King of subtlety right there.

Taking advantage of the situation, Tony freed himself from Nat’s evil hands. “Remind me to never hug you again.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you don’t like it when I tickle you.”

Images of previous meetings crossed his mind. Quick squeezes to his knee, a poke to his lower back, each touch making him withdraw from their reach. It wasn’t that he hated it, he just… Well, he just didn’t know.

Clint finally joined them and they went to their usual bar; ordering burgers and drinks and talking as if they’d known each other for years, which technically they had. Tony remembered his first one on one conversation with Steve on the forum, the topics so mundane since they hadn’t dared asking each other about tickling just yet. He watched his friends and wondered if he was tricking them all without meaning to.

“Whose place?”

“Mine?”

“Actually guys, I need to get up super early tomorrow-”

“Same, I’m covering a shift.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

“See you next week?”

Steve turned toward him and Bucky. “So, uh, my place anyway?”

The three of them took the subway, five stations, ten minute walk. Tipsy conversation and laughter and shivering from the cold as the alcohol left their system. They’d been there before. Usually ended up in the apartment closest to wherever they were for game nights or movie marathons. Tony wondered if the fact that they were only three would result in tickly activities. He wondered why that thought made him nervous.

Bucky raided Steve’s fridge, sparing him from having to ask what they wanted to drink when he exited the kitchen with beers. “Dibs on being in the middle.”

“Why?” Tony asked, sliding to the foot of the couch to make room.

“So that I can tickle you both during the movie, duh.”

“Oh.”

Bucky turned to grin at him. “You blushing?”

“Well, no.”

“You rarely do. You’re weird.”

“I’m not a lee.”

“You’re not a ler either, making me come to the conclusion that you must be a switch.” Bucky put the drinks on the coffee table and plopped down beside him. “If you don’t want tickles tonight though, just say so.” For all his comments, Bucky was usually very good at asking for consent, hence why Tony had gotten so startled by the squeeze to his sides earlier in the evening.

“I’m not sure,” Tony said, crossing his arms. “I’ll get back to you on that one.”

“You guys ready for movie night?” Steve asked, emerging from his bedroom clad in sweats. Lucky bastard.

“Only if you’re ready for some casual tickles.”

Steve turned pink. “Shut up.”

“Not a no then?”

He sat down beside him. “Shut _up_.”

Bucky laughed, pulling him close. Tony wasn’t sure if they were dating or not. Had not dared ask. Maybe he was cockblocking them right now. The thought made him sad in a way he couldn’t explain, and he cleared his throat; unwilling to have them forget about his presence.

“Someone’s getting jealous.” That, surprisingly, had been Steve. A lilt to his voice that made Tony flush to his toes, much to Bucky’s visible glee.

“Aw, he can blush,” he said, reaching out to ruffle his hair. “If you wanted cuddles rather than tickles, you could’ve just said so.”

Tony laughed, shoving his hand away. “I’m fine. I don’t trust you to touch me without curling your fingers.”

“Well, now you wound me.”

“Just start the movie.”

Tony, to his not necessarily horror, could tell each time Bucky decided to sneak a tickle to Steve’s side, thigh, whatever, and it was thoroughly distracting for reasons he couldn’t explain. Between the glowing screen in front of him and his squirming friends, the movie was the least entertaining one. It wasn’t because it was bad. Not even close.

He ran a hand over his face when Bucky turned the quick tickles to a proper session, causing Steve to giggle like a maniac. Narrowingly ducking Bucky’s elbow to the face when he pounced on his victim, Tony slipped out of the couch and padded over to the chair across the room, sinking down onto it as nonchalantly as he could. They weren’t paying attention to him, but he couldn’t be too careful. Wasn’t ready to lose their friendship yet if they found him a creep, which they would. Undoubtedly.

Crossing his arms, he watched as Bucky trapped Steve between his body and the couch. His fingers repeatedly wiggling over his belly. Free hand holding only both of Steve’s. It looked ticklish. It looked so unbelievably ticklish.

“You getting jealous again over there?” Bucky suddenly asked, turning to look at him while still tickling Steve to pieces. “You change your mind about wanting to be tickled later?”

“Still not sure,” Tony replied, chewing on his bottom lip. “I’ll keep you updated.”

“Wait. Sorry, Steve, hold on a minute.” Sitting up, Bucky gaped at him. “You’re blushing. You’re actually blushing again.”

Well, that didn’t help Tony’s situation at all. “I’m not.”

“You are.” Bucky’s grin was lethal. “Steve, do you see that?”

Steve, hair messy and face flushed, peeked at him from behind Bucky. “I do.”

“Twice in one night. Isn’t that just adorable?”

Steve’s smile was kind, but it made Tony feel worse. “Please stop.”

“Can’t handle some good old teasing, huh?”

“Please, I-”

“Buck.” That was Steve; hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “I don’t think he wants this.”

Blinking. Realizing. “Shit. Sorry. Got too carried away. If you wanna be the ler, go ahead.”

“No, I-”

“I’m sure Steve can handle another round.”

“I-”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind it.”

“Please just _listen to me_.” He hadn’t meant to raise his voice. Hadn’t meant to have a mini breakdown about this. But he felt entirely on edge and wanted nothing but to leave the room, the apartment, possibly the city. “I don’t know what I like anymore. I don’t know if I wanna be tickled or tickle someone or… or…”

“Tony.” Here it came. The disgust. “Breathe.”

Tony blinked at Steve. “Breathe?”

“I feel like you’re about to suffocate. Just breathe.”

Tony hadn’t realized how badly he’d needed to hear that. “Sorry,” he said, exhaling shakily. “I’m a mess.”

Bucky leaned back on the couch. “Why don’t we take this from the beginning? If you want to.”

“Only if you promise not to disown me.”

Bucky’s brows furrowed. “We would never disown you.”

Tony let out a laugh. “Yeah, well, you will once you find out I’m a fraud.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m- not really who I said I was.”  
  
“I don’t follow.”

“We met at a tickle forum, right? Well, durings the past few months I’ve just started questioning what it is about tickling that I like and have found out that… I might not like it at all.”

“That’s all?”

“What?”

“Jesus, Tony, I thought you had killed someone or something.” Bucky’s relieved laughter was puzzling. “I don’t care if you’re into tickling or not! Though I do admit we wouldn’t have met without it.”

“But it doesn’t matter,” Steve said. “If you’ve made that discovery or not, you’re still our friend.”

“But I don’t even know if I’ve made that discovery or if I’m overthinking it!” Tony cried, hands in his hair, resisting the urge to tug like a cliché. “I’m just so unsure.”

“Well, maybe we can help.” Bucky stood and took two steps to reach him. “If you want, we could try it out. Tickle you and have you tickle us. Or, well, Steve.”

“You think that could work?”

“Worth a shot, don’t you think?”

Tony looked at them. How willing they were to figure things out with him. It broke his heart a bit, the prospect that they might still find him a creep despite what they were saying. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Nothing to lose, I guess.”

Bucky clapped his hands. “Great! You want to start or should I?”

It was weird, having Steve sit down in front of him on the floor with his back to the couch. Waiting to be tickled. The videos and stories always made it seem so endearing, but Tony felt nervous about it. What if Steve wouldn’t like his technique? What if Tony didn’t realize when he wanted him to stop?

“Safe word,” Tony said, cursing his shaky voice. “We need one. Even if this lasts only a minute.”

“Brooklyn,” Steve and Bucky said in unison, and Tony felt his head spin. Of course they’d had sessions without him. He never wanted to join.

“Right. Uh.” He let out a laugh. “I don’t know where to start.”

“Maybe Steve can guide you.” Bucky was sitting against the wall, watching them. Tony wished they could switch places.

“I could do that.” Steve’s voice had gone shy and Tony realized this drawn out session probably wasn’t easy for him either. “Put your hands on my sides. Yeah, just like that. Now squeeze.”

Tony did, once, twice, one hand automatically letting go to fend Steve off when he tried to stop him. He could tell why someone would like this when Steve started giggling, visibly keeping himself from struggling too much. It was cute, making him laugh and having him enjoy it. Combined with Bucky’s smugness whenever he got him, their dynamic made Tony feel some type of way.

Maybe it wasn’t the tickling he liked. Maybe it was just them.

He moved upward, toying with Steve’s neck and grinning when he scrunched up his shoulders with a squeal. He was sliding downward, shirt rising, and Tony stood on his knees and attacked the bare sliver of skin. Steve’s laughter kicked up, his squirming intensified, and Tony loved the sound but hated that he couldn’t see this properly. Couldn’t see Steve kicking his feet or twisting his body. Only a jumbled mess of limbs as he tried to not get pushed away.

He stopped before the safe word was probably even close to being used.

“How did that feel?” Bucky asked, all of them still sitting on the floor.

“Strange.”

“In a good way?”

“Not sure. I liked making him laugh, but-” He turned to Steve, took in his flushed appearance. “Not sure I liked being the one doing the tickling.”

“My turn then. And then we can discuss it.” Bucky stood and helped Steve up from the floor, Tony taking his place. “Safe word?”

“Brooklyn.”

“You’re being quite jealous today.”

Tony snorted. “It was the first thing that came to mind.”

Bucky grinned as he sat down before him, and yes, okay, Tony could definitely see why someone would like being in this position. The vulnerability as Bucky trapped him between the couch and his body. His playful smile. The way he could for sure hold Tony down and tickle him to pieces. It was exciting, but Tony wasn’t sure he’d stop running if he started.

Bucky wiggled his fingers in the air, most likely warming them up but Tony couldn’t stop watching them. “You ready?”

“As ready as I can be.”

“I’ll stop the moment you say the safe word, okay?”

“Okay.”

“You have any wishes? Like, do you want me to go slow-”

“Just… do whatever. What you would do to Steve.”

“The thing is, though, I usually know what my lees like before I start.”

“I don’t know what I like.”

“All right. We’ll figure it out.” Bucky scooted closer, and Tony resisted the urge to push him away. “Ready?”

“Just do it.”

Bucky’s hands on his torso weren’t unwanted per se, but the way his body recoiled from the curling fingers was. Not to mention how unbearable the sensation was; creeping up his sides and ribs and making laughter pour out of his throat. It was weird. Fun, but also not. So unbelievably ticklish, but Tony liked the way Bucky moved his hands anyway.

He was coming out of this experiment with more questions than before, because of course he was.

“Your laughter is cute,” Bucky was saying over his giggles, and Tony realized belatedly that maybe he should’ve talked to Steve instead of just tickling him in silence like a creep.

“Shut uhup.”

Bucky laughed, but Tony was too busy trying to figure out what the fuck to _do_. Feeling trapped and still knowing he had the choice to end this. It was an absolute clusterfuck of a predicament.

Bucky’s hand slipped out of his grip easily when he tried to grab for it, and he felt his panic rise when it went straight back to tickling his belly. He didn’t hate this, but… well, he didn’t love it either.

“_Brooklyn_.”

Bucky stopped, just like he’d said he would. Tony was still giggling, but he felt better now. Almost felt as if he’d had fun.

“How was that?”

“It messed with my head.”

“It tends to do that.”

“I don’t know if I liked it.”

They sat on the couch, all three of them. Tony in the middle with the other two facing him. He shrunk under the attention, but knew he’d never pluck up the courage to talk about this again if he didn’t go through with it now.

“Maybe you should talk about what it is about tickling that intrigues you,” Steve said.

Tony wrung his hand together. “Well. Ever since I was young I’ve had this fascination with it. I kept looking up videos and stories and felt myself freeze whenever it happened in front of me in real life. I kept fantasizing about being tied up and tickled, or doing it to others. But-”

“But?”

“Well, I just don’t do that anymore. I still watch videos and stuff, but I never wish to be part of it, you know? Maybe it was just a fascination and not a real kink.”

“It doesn’t have to be a kink.”

“I don’t even know if I actually like it.”

Bucky ran a hand through his hair. “Have you ever considered that maybe you just like watching?”

“Watching?”

“Yeah, you know.” Bucky waved his hands around. “You don’t seem to mind it when we do it, but you don’t want to get involved.”

“Huh.”

“Maybe the fascination just doesn’t include you joining in.”

“But that’s _weird_, isn’t it?”

“Not necessarily. We all have our preferences. You like seeing it. Like seeing people enjoying themselves. I like tickling Steve, but I would hate it if he returned the favor. Same thing, no?”

“Maybe.” Tony felt overwhelmed. “So you don’t think I’m a creep?”

“Of course not,” Steve said, hand on Tony’s arm, squeezing once. “We’re just happy you don’t have to walk around on edge about this any longer.”

And suddenly Tony couldn’t think of anything else except for the hand on his skin. Not because it tickled, or because he feared it would eventually tickle, but because he didn’t want him to ever let go again.

Too many realizations in one night, Stark.

He exhaled. “God, I’m such a mess.”

“A rather pretty mess, though,” Bucky said, his smile timid for once. “Don’t you think so, Steve?”

“The prettiest.”

“Uh, what-”

“Hey.” Bucky’s hand on his knee. “Don’t panic.”

“I’m not.” He sort of was, but Bucky didn’t need to know what. “I, uh, think you’re pretty too? Both of you.”

“Look at that, Steve.” Bucky tilted his head at him. “He’s blushing again.”

Steve’s hand on his jaw, turning his head toward him. “He’s done that a lot today. I don’t mind it.”

“Are you guys together?” Tony blurted, totally ruining the mood.

Bucky let out a laugh. “Sort of. Getting there.”

“Something’s been missing, though,” Steve added, thumb stroking his chin. “We’ve come to the conclusion that it’s you.”

“Me?”

“If you want to join, that is.”

“As long as you don’t tickle me.”

They both laughed, and Tony couldn’t help his giddy smile.

“Don’t worry,” Bucky said, his other hand in Tony’s hair. “From now on you can watch us for as long as you’d like.”

And, from that day on, he did.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow my [writing advice blog](http://nhasablog-advice.tumblr.com)!
> 
> For fic commission and editing prices, click [here](https://nhasablog-advice.tumblr.com/post/187356238530/hey-n-this-isnt-about-advice-so-sorry-if-i).


End file.
